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The use of response prevention to eliminate nocturnal thumbsucking
Insights
A response prevention strategy effectively eliminated nocturnal thumbsucking in children. Combining restraint fading and reinforcer removal proved highly successful in behavior modification for thumbsucking cessation.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Nocturnal thumbsucking is a common behavior in children.
- Effective interventions for persistent thumbsucking are crucial for oral and dental health.
Observation:
- A response prevention strategy was tested on nocturnal thumbsucking.
- The strategy involved fading physical restraint and removing positive reinforcement.
Findings:
- The combined strategy completely eliminated thumbsucking in boys and girls across experiments.
- Fading restraint (boxing gloves, cotton, fingertip bandages) and removing reinforcers were key components.
- Removing reinforcers alone had minimal impact, highlighting the necessity of the full package.
Implications:
- This intervention offers a viable, non-punitive method for addressing nocturnal thumbsucking.
- The findings support the use of behavior modification techniques in pediatric habit control.
- Further research could explore long-term efficacy and applicability across different age groups.
Abstract:
The effects of a response prevention strategy consisting of the fading of restraint and the removal of reinforcers on nocturnal thumbsucking behavior was evaluated in four experiments. In the first experiment, nocturnal thumbsucking was restrained for approximately 1 week by having each of two boys wear a boxing glove to bed. Next they wore absorbent cotton over the thumb for 11 nights. During the last phase in this condition, they wore a fingertip bandage over the thumb for 10 to 11 nights. The response prevention package completely eliminated thumbsucking behavior in both boys. In the second experiment, the removal of reinforcers alone for nocturnal thumbsucking had little or no effect on the thumbsucking behavior of three girls whereas the later introduction of the entire package completely suppressed thumbsucking in all three girls. In the third experiment, the package was evaluated in the absence of the glove restraint condition. The results showed that the treatment package was effective in the absence of the glove restraint condition for all three children. The final experiment examined whether the package could be effective if the absorbent cotton condition was abruptly removed without using the fingertip bandage condition. The results showed the treatment to be effective with one of two boys, but not the other.